Even though the drive from St. Augustine to Miami was a mere four hours, it felt like I’d entered a completely different country the moment I drove over the MacArthur Causeway. I couldn’t wait to explore and experience this exotic new city, and what better way to do so than with a Miami South Beach food tour?
Staff review
I arrived early to the starting location; Bolivar Restaurant on Washington Avenue. Since it was about 90 degrees outside (that’s around 30 degrees celsius for my UK readers), I got myself a glass of wine hoping I’d be finished by the time the tour group arrived, but I needn’t have worried, as all 14 people on the tour got themselves a drink the moment we gathered - I had a feeling I was going to like this tour!
| Bolivar
Our guide, Ashley, had lived in Miami for the best part of 30 years, so had a true local knowledge that goes way beyond the general ‘tour guide’ level. Bolivar is a Colombian restaurant, and there happened to be a Colombia soccer (football) game on, so the bar was unusually dark and we had to lean in closely to see what we were being served… corn flour beef empenadas, Peruvian ceviche, and a super hot jalapeño salsa. I’d never had ceviche before so this was definitely a winner for me, it was delicious!
| The Hotel
Out into the daylight we wandered towards The Hotel, once called the Tiffany Hotel. Here, Ashley told us about the late Tony Goldman, and how he dedicated his life to renovating deprived areas of the States, including Miami, which currently has the most art deco buildings in the world. Our food tasting here was fried yucca, which again, I’d never had before. This was served with three dipping sauces (we poured our own - there was no triple dipping here), two types of aioli, and an Asian-style sweet chilli sauce.
| Larios On The Beach
Next up was Larios On The Beach, a Cuban restaurant owned by American singer-songwriter Gloria Estefan. The interior decor was clearly inspired by the ocean, with blue mosaic pillars and shell-encrusted walls, plus live music every night. As Ashley explained the history of the restaurant and the Estefan family, we were served traditional Cuban comfort food; picadillo. It’s a bit like chilli but with no beans, and is served with root vegetable crisps that are great for scooping. We stayed a while in this restaurant, and because we were quite a bit tour group, it was like having dinner with a large family who all had fascinating stories to tell - it was great fun!
| Rosetta Bakery
After our comfort food we obviously needed some more comfort food, so next on the list was the Rosetta Bakery, located at 1666 Collins Ct. I hadn’t seen a bakery like this since my trip to Paris, so I was very excited to try their warm cherry tomato focaccia with rosemary and sea salt (it was as good as it sounds). The counters were lined with the biggest sandwiches I’d ever seen, plus rows upon rows of the most beautiful fruit tarts and cakes I’d ever seen. They looked so good, several tour members made a purchase!
| Essex House
Following the bakery we stopped in Essex House, which wasn’t a food stop but was still incredibly interesting, and I can see why it’s included on the tour. Here we learned about the history of Miami; how Julia Tuttle inherited the land and set out to build a metropolitan city (the first woman to do so), but needed help from her friend Henry Flagler to do so. Flagler operated the railway to St. Augustine which Julia wanted extended down to Miami - he said no - but she got her way after the ‘big freeze’ killed all the crops in northern/central Florida and left Miami untouched. The rest is history!
| Versace Mansion and The Sugar Factory
The walk to our final eatery involved some very fascinating architecture, known as nautical art deco (the buildings look like ships and the windows have ‘eyebrows’!), plus a visit to the Versace Mansion. It was quite moving to see the very steps where Gianni Versace was murdered, and appreciate the incredible house built by Alden Freeman, inspired by the Alcazar De Colon in the Dominican Republic.
To cheer us up after the sad story of Gianni Versace, we reached our final destination; the Sugar Factory! Lined with pictures of celebrities eating ice cream and giant candies, the Sugar Factory looks like something straight out of a child’s wildest dream. We were treated to an amazing chocolate chip cookie, which sounds basic, but was anything but. It was probably the best cookie I’ve ever tasted!
| Thanks for reading!
After marvelling at the five pound gummy bears it was time to say farewell, but I can’t thank Ashley enough for giving such a fun and educational tour - it certainly is the best way to see Miami South Beach. I’d highly recommend this experience for groups large and small, and those wanting to try the best food Miami has to offer!
